Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1887-03-04
The Dependent Pension bill---Mr.
Stewart Views

Though the following statement of tie
opinions of our honored representative in
Congress, Hon. John w. Stewart, came to
US in a private letter, we shall be pardoned
for printing it. We have seen nothing
clearer or more forcible or that side of the
question.
! am somewhat surprised that
the FREE PRESS should have expressed
an opinion unfavorable to the dependent
pension.bill. No bill was ever more grossly
misrepresented by the press of the coun-
try, and the criticisms of the president are
hypercritical and dictated by a spirit of
hostility to the policy of further extension
of the pension list which he has repeated
ly shown in vetoes of most meritorious
cases. Under the bill total disability is
prerequisite to enjoyment of its pro-
Visions No one attempted to an
swer or could answer the argument on
that point of Matson, the chairman of the
committee. Then as to the number of
beneiiciaries, the estimate of the commit
tee was based not upon conjecture, but
upon carefully gathered and precise stats
tics, furnished by the pension bureau
whereby the wild conjectures of the presi
dent and the papers who joined in the
hue and cry, are shown to have no other
foundation than the varying fancies of
the DIRECTORS. The personal influence of
the executive was brought to bear upon
the democrats of the House, by which
enough votes were changed to defeat the
bill. AS 1t was we had 80 democrats and
a solid republican vote for il. Every man
from the South, save Woolford of Ken
lucky voted against it, while every South
ern member voted for the Mexican service
pension bill, far more obnoxious to all the
executive criticisms than this one, as you
will see by comparison. Now as to the re
suit here. The entire pension legislation
is stopped. The democrats refused to
give us last night for consideration of pen
sion bills I'VE have had Friday nights regu-
larly) and the committee refuse to meet
again or TO report upon any vetoed bill now
in committees, for the reason, as one of the
democratic members said to-day, that the
democratic vote will defeat any bill how
ever meritorious which has failed to re-
ceive an executive sanction, and the com
mittee decline to antagonze the president
any further | assure you that the spirit
which prompts this action now is at bot
| tom inspired by the cOnfederateS and the
free traders. The commercial press is
hostile to the whole pension policy. The
rich who can best afford to be taxed are
opposed.
For myself do not hesitate to say that ii
Is the duty of the country now to take care
of honorably discharged soldiers whose
disability is total, who are destitute of
property and whose disability is
not the result of vicious habits
Such is this bill, and that is all there is of
it. The solid South is against it. The
commercial and moneyed men of the coun-
try are against it, to some extent at least.
The democratic party is against il. The
mugwumps are against it but / believe
the great heart of the North beats respon-
sively to this just call The scribblers have
said that this was prompted by and was
the work of pension agents, which is as
false as the other criticisms on the bill
Every member of the pension committee
on both sides stamps it as Il lie unadulter-
ated. 1t was the work of the committee
in a line with executive recommendation
AS to general policy. and prompted solely
by desire to do justice to a deserving
class of the nations defenders in its hour
of peril. Yours truly,
j. w STEWART